Agreement gives Bloods voice on school board

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An historic agreement has been signed giving the Blood tribe a voice on the Cardston school board.

After years of talks, the Blood chief and council signed an addendum to the existing tuition agreement June 15 with the Cardston school board, allowing for Native representation on the board for the first time in history.

The agreement is the first of its kind in the province. Native parents whose children attend Cardston schools will now have a formal channel to voice their concerns, said Blood education chairman Richard Mills.

"It's been our long-standing wish we have a representative on the Cardston school board," he told a small crowd assembled to witness the signing ceremony at the senior citizens center.

"The (agreement) will increase communication between both communities and set a precedent for Canada," said a proud Mick Barnett, Cardston school board chairman.

Merv Kowalchik, director of the Alberta Native education project, said the Bloods have been requesting Native representation on the school board for years. "I remember countless proposals from the Bloods requesting a change. This agreement is the result of that initiative," he said.

"I'm positive this agreement will mushroom across the province. More Indian bands will want the same," he said.

"Three years ago this (agreement) couldn't have happened," explained Kowalchik. "The new school act allowed for the appointment of treaty Indians from unorganized territories to be represented on the school board."

Tentative plans call for the first election of a Blood trustee to the board in October. They will then sit for the remainder of the term. After that elections will coincide with the three-year schedule for municipal elections. All Native parents or legal guardians will be allowed to vote. The newly-elected Blood band trustee will have full voting rights with the exception of a vote on motions establishing the mill rate. Board trustee membership will increase to nine from eight.

Native students have been attending Cardston schools since the 1960s. There are about 603 Blood students enrolled in the town's schools from kindergarten to high school. The Blood band pays about $2.5 million in tuition each year.

Following speeches the agreement was signed by officials representing the Bloods, the provincial government and the Cardston school board.